Listening Test: Spot the Strat

[jak3af3r]

I've seen a lot of talk about "multi-tool" guitars and how they aren't particularly useful in doing any particular sound.

So I decided to throw a mic haphazardly on my amp and record a single line part and a rhythm-ish part and see if anyone could tell which guitar may or may not have been a real strat.

All guitars were recorded on the same amp with the same settings, with the same mic and speaker cab, through the same interface, on the same day, in the same room, facing the same direction (East if anyone cares.)

The single line part is 8 bars for each sound. The rhythm-ish part is 4 bars for each sound. The solo out was just for fun so I decided to keep part of it.

Spot the Strat

I may award bonus points if anyone can accurately guess what other guitars were used from this list
PRS McCarty
Fender Telecaster
PRS Custom 24
PRS SCHBI
PRS SAS Narrowfield
Gibson LP

 

[veinbuster]

I can’t. They all sounded fine to me.
Thanks for the outro - it was fun.

To me, the start sounded like it could be a strat, but when the bit repeated I realized I couldn’t really say it wasn’t, so gave up and just listened.

 

[alantig]

I'll say the order was Strat/SAS NF/ McCarty.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I don’t have a scooby.

As I read your intro, I was thinking, this is gonna be a scoosh, as a Strat player, there will be a part with an unmistakable “quack”.

Looking forward to your reveal.

 

[Malloc]

Just judging by the attack and natural compression 1/3 sound more like singles (or imitator singles) to me. 2 definitely has more breakup leading me towards full sized HB.

Strat/CU24/SAS would be my swag.

 

[jak3af3r]

I don’t have a scooby.

As I read your intro, I was thinking, this is gonna be a scoosh, as a Strat player, there will be a part with an unmistakable “quack”.

Looking forward to your reveal.

If there's a lot of interest, I can do another recording with the same guitars with a "quack" sound. To my ears, those are more similar than the neck pickups I did here. Maybe I'll do that as level 2.

 

[Going Modal]

I've logged my vote for guitar #3 = real strat. We'll see if I'm right.

Either way, I really dug that jam, especially the playful soloing towards the end. Excellent stuff, man!

 

[jak3af3r]

Just judging by the attack and natural compression 1/3 sound more like singles (or imitator singles) to me. 2 definitely has more breakup leading me towards full sized HB.

Strat/CU24/SAS would be my swag.

These are good guesses. I like that you've stated your reasons as well.

 

[László]

The first sounded 'Strat' to me, too, but I'll say this: They all sound great in your hands. I got lost in the music before you got to phrase #3.

It's really hard to tell this stuff without some context, knowing how the amp sounds with various guitars, etc.

 

[bodia]

Regardless of what guitar was where, great playing.

 

[László]

Regardless of what guitar was where, great playing.

Right?

The trick isn't spotting the Strat - the trick is PLAYING the Strat so well in the first place!!

 

[bodia]

Right?

The trick isn't spotting the Strat - the trick is PLAYING the Strat!!

That’s for sure!

 

[jak3af3r]

The first sounded 'Strat' to me, too, but I'll say this: They all sound great in your hands. I got lost in the music before you got to phrase #3.

It's really hard to tell this stuff without some context, knowing how the amp sounds with various guitars, etc.

Thanks! That's a very "lawyer" approach to answering.

I haven't mentioned the amp as a reference because I don't believe it's widely known but because you're the first to ask, I'll explain the signal chain.

Guitar - Wampler *Euphoria* set with no added drive or coloration used as a clean boost, ceriatone OTS 20 (a Dumble-ish amp) on the drive "channel," that all goes through the FX loop buffer which has a Strymon blue sky only, the cab I built and posted pictures in the "what are you gigging" thread. It has two WGS ET90s. I've used my wife's Rode NT1 maybe 3" off the speaker close to the edge of the dust cap. That goes through a saffire pro 14 or something my wife bought ages ago straight into logic. No plug-ins, just volume adjustments to get it close to the same level.

The guitar at the end is the SAS NF on the bridge pickup through the same setup as above just picking more aggressively.

 

[László]

Thanks! That's a very "lawyer" approach to answering.

What can I say?

20 years of schoolin' and they put you on the day shift!

 

[Tim Meyers]

At the start the first sounded like a Strat, but by the end of the first guitar sounded more like a Tele. Not sure what the second was. The third sounded like the Strat.

 

[AaeCee]

I went with '3' as the Strat. I think I heard a certain tell-tale snippet that turned on the Strat light in my head.

Nice groove, BTW!

 

[PRSWILL]

I'm an outlier- I think it was # 2. First one sounded pretty "rounded" like a Les Paul on neck/bridge Pup setting. Third could have been any humbucker. and yes- fun Groove!

 

[JasonE]

To me the first guitar was a true single coil. It has that open and bright sound to it. It sounded more like a Strat neck pickup to me than it did a Tele. However, if you put a Tele in the mix, that could definitely make it harder to pick the Strat. The neck pickups on both of these guitars are some of my favorite tones. To me guitar 2 and 3 had a bit fatter sound and not quite the Strat sound, unless you have some really thick sounding Strat pickups.

 

[jak3af3r]

The neck pickups on both of these guitars are some of my favorite tones. To me guitar 2 and 3 had a bit fatter sound and not quite the Strat sound, unless you have some really thick sounding Strat pickups.

I don't think I would classify the strat pickups as "hot." I have them measured at 5.42k ohms and 1.79H.

 

[jak3af3r]

I'm an outlier- I think it was # 2. First one sounded pretty "rounded" like a Les Paul on neck/bridge Pup setting. Third could have been any humbucker. and yes- fun Groove!

We have a winner!!!

The strat is #2

Guitar #1 is the SAS NF on the neck pickup

Guitar #2 is a Mexican standard strat body (2016) with one of the 90's "squier series" necks and Pribora pickups.

Guitar #3 is my custom 24 with the rosewood neck on the VB pickup.